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05/11/2011

I'm intrigued by uncommon edibles like flower foods. What's not to love about a delicate yellow flower making it's way to your plate! Rabbit food? I think not!

Around this time of year, squash blossoms are easy to come by in the garden and sometimes at the farmers market. you'll find the female blossoms at the end of your squash, whereas the male blossom has a simple stem - I harvest the male blossoms to prevent any disturbance to the squash. The texture of a bite into this fritter is simply divine. First the crispiest crunch, followed by the warm, creamy inside - a perfect marriage of salty and tart.

04/21/2011

With Spring upon us, we've been talking a lot about our garden to come. And as silly as it may be, to me, having a garden isnt just about the delicious rewards that come from it, but it's also a source pleasure to my eyes. It's important to me that our garden looks beautiful. Afterall, it becomes an outdoor home for us for most of the year. You could also say that the child in me is still hoping to create my very own Secret Garden. After visiting the heirloom gardens last year at Old Salem, I found just how beautiful an edible garden can be, and we've been referring to it time and time again while we plan our new family garden. It was there that we saw a totally unique diagonal planting pattern from the late 1700's that is believed to have been chosen for drainage, sun exposure and aesthetics.They used a variety of mixed techniques - raised beds, mounds, square inch gardening and even early vertical gardening. Orchards were planted along the fence line in the entrances of the homes and gardens. Medicinal herbs and cooking spices were planted in rock retained beds near the homes.Oh, we mustn't forget the sunflowers! They have sky high cheery sunflowers dancing row after row, which is much needed for any good old fashion game of hide and go seek!

In the past we've always had boxed raised beds for our vegetable gardens, but now that we will have so much more land to work with and more mouths to feed, we will be combining many gardening styles on our farm just as they did in the early days in Old Salem. Edible landscaping is an idea that THE BACKYARD HOMESTEAD covers. I love the idea of having rosemary bushes and pineapple sage as close as the patio steps. They take the idea even further and suggest even an edible arbor or berry bushes as a hedge. Vertical gardening is also becoming really popular for those who are limited on space, but it's also very functional for keeping your vined veggies off the ground and away from many ground dwelling pests. Vertical gardens can be incorporated into any raised bed garden, by using a trellis, arbor, stakes/poles or wire fencing.I'm really drawn to the living wall gardens on buidlings - don't they make the greatest backdrops for photos? This vertical garden idea really caught my eye - it would be perfect for strawberries, among many other things.

04/18/2011

We had a lovely weekend, sleeping in late, working with dogs, reading newly thrifted books and dreaming of the farm as we made our weekly drive-by, and drooled over the space that we will hopefully quite soon be able to plant our feet on. We visited the Mounts Botanical Garden plant sale, where we brought home a chocolate mint, horehound, vanilla grass (ever heard of it?) and a well loved peach tree that we just can't wait to put in the ground.

But in this very moment, I am: Adoring Dane's scuffed knee remedy (polka dot leg warmers), Praying for rain in this time of drought, Loving the company that my mother-in-law gives me while she stays with us, Thankful that I am able to stay home with Dane especially after a sleepless night, Enjoying the sound of the ocean breeze whispering through the palm tree, Patiently waiting on a pot of dried beans soaking for this evenings meal

04/12/2011

The Backyard Homestead : Produce all the food you need on just a quarter acre By Carleen Madigan

With the soaring cost of food and the increased awareness of organic foods, backyard homesteading is becoming quite a popular subject - if you have any interest in homesteading this book is the perfect place to start. My dad read GROW IT in the early 70's, which I consider an early version of THE BACKYARD HOMESTEAD. There was a real need for a modern compilation of small scale farming info into one beautiful book. In this book you will find chapters on everything from making homemade wine and sausage to vertical garden concepts. You will learn to grow, harvest, produce, and store your garden bounty. The premise of this book is how to make the most of a small plot of land, but it would be just as useful to those with a larger scale farm in mind. I found limited information on crop pest control and remedies as well as animal housing and husbandry - although there is plenty information that can be found in the back of the book with recommended reading and links. There are many valuable charts in this book such as : companion planting, USDA zoning maps, seasonal rotation and grid planting. I really enjoyed the illustrations that are incredible helpful, as most books on this topic are lacking in the visual department. I have had this book for almost a year, and it really has become my "go to" book and inspires me everytime I open it.